Consultation: Award of the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz spectrum bands

Start: 18 December 2018

Status:
Open

End: 12 March 2019

We manage the airwaves – or spectrum – used by all wireless devices, including mobile phones. Reliable mobile services have become essential to how people live and work across the UK, and mobile phone networks must keep pace with the growing needs for capacity and for coverage. This is a priority for us. We want to see coverage of good quality mobile broadband from a choice of providers, wherever people live, work and travel.

In this document, we set out proposals for an award of spectrum to enable the industry to provide services with greater capacity and wider coverage, and to pave the way for companies to take advantage of new wireless technologies, including 5G – the next generation of mobile technology. Importantly, we are proposing to provide strong incentives for the companies which participate in the award to invest in providing better quality services in rural areas, furthering our ambition to achieve comprehensive mobile coverage for people right across the UK.